Who Is Ego Rodriguez?
Ego Rodriguez is a queer artist and illustrator based in London. He's built up a rabid fan base on Instagram, where he shares his work and currently has nearly 70,000 followers. Ego discussed his creation process with us, his inspirations for drawing, and why he does what he does.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
What are some of your artistic influences?
Ego Rodriguez: My main influences come from my life, growing up. I'd been saving in, my personal picks. The characters that impressed me. Music, books, history. The images that wow me. The moments that stay inside for a reason or another. I brew all these particles and spurt them out in images.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
Who are some of your artistic influences?
I have an interest for the poster style. The advertisement sense of telling only with an image. You can tell artists like Gruau, Mucha, Klimt, Erté had been a big influence in my style.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
How do you decide what to draw?
I don't follow a protocol. Sometimes an idea pops up and I sketch it up to see if it works. Others, I bumped into some interesting images that inspired me.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
How do you choose what to draw?
Not everything that works in your head works down in the paper. Sometimes a simple study becomes a great piece. I often surprise myself, finishing something that I didn't even think would work.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
Do you use models for your portraits?
I don't like people around me while I am drawing. It's my own space and I get absorbed into my own world. So the idea of models doesn't attract me much.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
Do you draw from memory?
Some pieces come from photos. Integral ideas or the pose, the lighting. Some, I made them up from scratch.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
How long does a portrait normally take to finish?
I don't like sitting on any piece for too long. If I am working on something I want it done or gone. If I can't work in an idea right away, I take a note for the future.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
Is your work based on real life experiences?
Since an early age, drawing is my mindscape. The planes where I can illustrate what I could not live or experience. The matter that doesn't exist. I have little interest on recreate or tell about my own events. Or copy real life. I even avoid flesh or natural colours in my portraits.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
What do you want people to take away from your art?
I am not sure I want to impose into anyone what to make out of what I do. People bring more than they take. I draw familiar situations, familiar faces. I leave blanks and unfinished lines. The audience fill this gaps. They pour their own emotions and memories to it. They like it because they relate to it. Because they complete the puzzle in their head.
Photo: Instagram (egorod)
From the Mythology series: Nessus and Heracles
From the Mythology series: Perseus and Gorgon
From the Mythology series: Odysseus and Polyphemus
From the Mythology series: Sphinx and Oedipus
From the Mythology series: Theseus and the Minotaur
Portrait by Eivind Hansen
